Articles

I just wanted to share an outline of events for buyers that I give to all of my clients. It’s a list that I created myself to help out either first time buyers or someone who has bought a home awhile ago and just needs a refresher. Enjoy ☺

Buyer’s Outline of Events

• If you haven’t already, you should first meet with a lender to get a pre approval letter and determine what your purchasing options are
• Work with your Realtor to search for the property of your dreams. Your Realtor can set up an automatic search for you online and send you listings as soon as they come on the market and you can also search for homes online by yourself. I always encourage my clients to do a drive by anylistings they are interested in so that they can get a feel for the neighborhood and then they can call to schedule an appointment to see it
• Offer on the home you decide is right for you. Your offer may be countered, accepted or rejected if unreasonable
• Once Mutual Acceptance is received: You have 2 days to deliver your earnest money check to escrow agent. You usually have 10 day to have your home inspection conducted. Keep in mind that if this is a short sale, none of the contingencies begin until bank approval has been obtained
• After inspection is satisfactory, your bank will order an appraisal of the property.
• You should begin to shop for home owner’s insurance policy. (usually good to start with the company you have car or rental insurance with)
• You will continually be in contact with your lender and Realtor to receive updates and be advised if anything else is needed from you
• Within about 1-3 days of the close date, the escrow agent should call you to schedule a signing of closing docs. (this can’t be scheduled until the escrow agent receives your lender’s docs for you to sign)
• When you have your sign date, you should call utility companies to arrange for services to be put in your name as of the close date
• Sales typically close within 24 hours of both parties signing. (unless over a weekend or holiday)
• Your Realtor will call you to schedule a time to meet at your NEW HOME to get your keys!

Congratulations You’ve Bought a Home!!

I hope this outline clears up some of the steps involved. Buying a home can be tricky, most people only buy 1 or 2 in their lifetime. Lucky for you, it is something that I am involved with every single day. If you would like my complete buyer’s packet feel free to let me know. I would love to get you a copy. I’m also available to answer any questions.

Thanks for reading,

Danielle

(photo taken from :http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kevin-obrien/911-virtual-career-fair-f_b_3780175.html)

I hope everyone can take some time today think about what happened 14 years ago and reflect. I know this day has so many different meanings and memories for us all. Some people may remember exactly where they were when they heard about the tragedy, others glued to their tv screens just watching the news. Either way, September 11, 2001 is a day to remember.

Thanks for reading,

Danielle

In honor of Back to School season I just wanted to give away a quick source for schools in Whatcom County. I ran across this great website that lets you pick a school district and learn more about it. Feel free to click here to check it out!

Best of luck on the upcoming school year and I hope everyone was able to enjoy the summer; especially with the awesome weather we had.

Thanks for reading,
Danielle

I just wanted to give a quick reminder about a service I provide on my website. If you are every wondering what the current market looks like through out Whatcom County make sure to take a look here. I have it set on the Lynden market but you can change the area of which you would like to focus on. Down below I do have examples taken from today of the current market stats in Lynden.

The first graph illustrates the market trends in Lynden in regards to Active, Sold and Pended properties for the last year. The second graph shows the average sale price variation in the last year.

These stats help decide what type of market we are currently having and any trends that are occurring. If you would like more information or have any questions don’t hesitate to ask.

Thanks for reading,
Danielle

I ran across this great list of five easy DIY’s that will increase your home worth. Author, Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine, even writes what she thinks the ROI will be per each project. Article was taken from here.

“It doesn’t have to cost a fortune to improve a home and make it more sellable, according to HomeGain’s 2012 National Home Improvement Survey.

HomeGain surveyed nearly 500 real estate professionals nationwide to determine the top do-it-yourself home improvement projects that offers some of the biggest bang for your buck when selling a home.

“In a buyer’s market, sellers need to dress their homes for success before putting them on the market,” says Louis Cammarosano, HomeGain’s general manager. The survey shows “that do-it-yourself home improvements like cleaning and de-cluttering and lightening and brightening your home are cost-effective ways of increasing your chances of selling faster and closing closer to the asking price than homes rushed to the market with no improvements.”

Here are the top five projects that real estate professional recommend to their clients–projects that have the potential to offer some of the highest returns on investment at resale, according to the 2012 HomeGain survey:

1. Clean and declutter

What to do: “Removing personal items; wash and clean all areas of inside and outside of house; freshen air; remove clutter from furniture, counters, and all areas of the home; organize closets; polish woodwork and mirrors.”

Estimated cost: $402

Potential ROI: 403% or $2,024 to the home’s sale price

2. Lighten and brighten

What to do: “Open windows; clean windows and skylights inside and outside; replace old curtains or removing curtains; remove other obstacles from windows blocking light; repair lighting fixtures; make sure window open easily.”

Estimated cost: $424

Potential ROI: 299% or $1,690

3. Repair electrical and plumbing

What to do: “Update leaky or old faucet spouts and handles; repair leaks under bathroom or kitchen sinks; laundry room pipes; toilets should be in good working condition; remove mildew stains.

“Update electrical with new wiring for modern appliances and/or Internet and other audio/visual equipment requested in homes today; door bell should work; service sprinkler systems; fix lights and outlets that do not turn on; replace old plug points with new safety fixtures.”

Estimated cost: $808

Potential ROI: 293% or $3,175

4. Landscaping

What to do: “Front and back yards; add bark mulch; rake and remove leaves, branches and debris; plant bushes and flowers; add planters and hanging plants; mow grass; water lawn and plants; remove weeds and dead plants; manicure existing plants; any yardwork that improves the curb appeal of a home.”

Estimated cost: $564

ROI: 215% or $1,777

5. Staging

What to do: “Add fresh flowers; removing personal items; reduce clutter; rearrange furniture; add new props or furniture to enhance room/s; play soft music; hang artwork in walls.”

Estimated cost: $724

ROI: 196% or $2,145

However, the survey finds that the home improvement projects that offer the highest potential price increase to a home’s resale value continues to be updating the kitchen and bathroom. Home sellers could potentially see a $3,255 price increase to their home at resale by tackling kitchen and bathroom projects, according to the HomeGain survey. ”

These five DIY’s could make a big difference in a potential buyers first impression of your home. When you live in a home everyday it is very easy to over look certain items and there is where I come in. I always offer to do a walk though with any seller and give them some ideas on sprucing up their home for a quick sale.

Feel free to give me a call if you are thinking about selling soon. I would love to give you ideas for simple DIY’s that increase your home value.

Thanks for reading,

Danielle

I ran across this article the sums up how lots of agents come up with different CMA’s when you are looking at selling your home and what your list price should be. This article is written by, Blanche Evans and found on realtytimes.com. To view the whole article click here.

Why No Two CMAs Are Ever The Same

“When you interview real estate agents to choose which one to list your home, each of them may each give you a snapshot of the local market known as the competitive or comparative market analysis or CMA. The first thing you notice is that the CMAs are all different and that the suggested listing prices can vary by thousands of dollars.

Is it that the real estate professionals don’t know what they’re doing? Not necessarily, but a few may be dumb like foxes. Some agents will cast a deliberately wide net in a CMA to get you to list at a lower price so the home will sell quickly. They could also use large parameters if they’re unfamiliar with the neighborhood you want to help them get your listing. What you want are homes within a few streets of yours, not the whole zip code.

CMAs are generated from multiple listing service software. They are only as accurate as the search criteria. If an agent puts in an entire zip code, the results are going to be quite different from a two-block radius. So take a good look at the area parameters.

Market conditions are what CMAs report. They’re composed of property listings, sales and pending home sales for the purpose of helping buyers and sellers understand the marketplace better.

Buyers use CMAs to help them make the lowest offers possible and still get the homes they want. Sellers use CMAs to help them choose a listing price so their homes will sell quickly and for the highest dollar possible. They use comparisons that are supposed to be based on the most similar homes available, using size, age, features, amenities, condition and location.

Even so, the selected properties can vary greatly depending on the search parameters used by the real estate professional. These can include the type of home (detached vs. attached), the name of the street, number of bedrooms, baths and living areas, square footage, and numerous other fields of information. The CMAs also tell you which homes have recently sold – six months, three months, one month, and which homes are currently on the market in the area and within the price range you’re interested in.

As many fields of information as there are, some criteria simply can’t be listed in a CMA. If the MLS has a field for “ocean views,” you’ll know. But if not, you’ll have to learn more in the remarks section that is filled in by the listing agent or simply sort through the listing videos and photos.

CMAs results may vary even between identical homes. One property may simply offer better drive-up appeal or is in better condition than the other, and that will be reflected in the sales price.

Sellers should know that there is one major thing that can’t be quantified – buyer and seller motivation. You don’t know why a seller agreed to take less for their home or why a buyer overpaid for another home. Family problems, corporate relocations and other reasons all play a role.

What you can learn from the CMA is how long the home took to sell. If it was quick, the seller was highly motivated. If it didn’t, it was probably overpriced, in poor condition, or in a bad location.

Your real estate professional will suggest a pricing strategy for you based on the CMA, but the asking price will be up to you.”

A couple things that I want to mention:

1) Make sure you are using an agent that is familiar with the area. It’s important for an agent to know the differences even inside of your own neighborhood. This will ensure that your home is going to be priced correctly and hopefully sell sooner.

2) As Evans mentions, check the parameters that your agent used when finding comparable homes. You might know more information on homes that have recently sold nearby than what your agent has access to.

If you are thinking about selling your home please give me a call. I would love to help you sell your home and make sure it is priced correctly!

Thanks for reading,

Danielle

Below I posted an article written by Jonathon Smoke that I found on Realtor.com. Click here to view the whole article. This article perfectly sums up what has been happening in Whatcom County as well as most of the Nation. Please Read On. ☺

As we approach the midpoint of 2015, the residential real estate market is on track for its best year since 2006, the peak of the housing bubble. (This time, though, it’s no bubble.)

Job growth is powering the surge in demand for homes. More than 3 million jobs have been created in the past 12 months. And more than 1 million jobs have been created for 25- to 34-year-olds, the age range in which most Americans buy their first home.

We’re seeing record traffic at realtor.com®. Real estate websites across the board are experiencing 15% year-over-year growth in unique users, but our site has seen more than twice that (perhaps thanks to Elizabeth Banks?). The vast majority of our visitors report that they intend to purchase a home.

With rising demand, homes are selling more quickly, too. In May the median age of inventory (homes on the market) nationwide was 66 days—that’s 8 days faster than for last year. The hottest markets are seeing inventory move 18 to 45 days faster.

A rapidly declining age of inventory signals that demand is growing more rapidly than supply. Indeed, we’ve had 32 months in a row of existing-home inventory at less than a six months’ supply. That’s why we’re also seeing above-normal price appreciation.

Year-over-year median home price appreciation reached 9% in April, which has helped existing homeowners see strong gains in equity.

That level of price appreciation would be problematic if it continued, but we don’t think it will. Median list prices, which often predict the direction of actual price changes, moderated in each of the past two months as the number of listings grew.

Meanwhile, rents are increasing at a similar or even stronger pace than home prices. Record numbers of renting households have driven down apartment vacancies, and low vacancies led to higher rents. As a result, it is cheaper to buy rather than rent in 80% of the counties in the U.S.

And now the clock is ticking as mortgage rates are on the rise. With strong employment data in April and May, the average 30-year fixed conforming mortgage rate broke through the 4% level, and in the past week moved above 4.10%.

Is that slowing down demand? No, just the opposite. Consumers can clearly see that affordability is going down for real, so those who are ready and able to buy are searching for homes, looking at listings, visiting open houses, applying for mortgages, and signing contracts.

In April, new-home sales were up 26% over last year. Pending home sales, which are new contracts on existing homes, were up 14%.

At this level of growth, total home sales in 2015 could come close to 6 million, which is a level comparable to 2007 (if not quite at the level of peak 2006). But 2007 was a year of decline for the housing market, whereas in 2015, we’re expecting more good things to come.”

Make sure you listen to Smoke, especially if you are a buyer. Affordability will continue to go down as home prices go up and interest rates rise. Let me help you find your dream home while you can still afford it!

Please let me know if you have any questions & thanks for reading,

Danielle

Picture taken from here

As summer is approaching and the school year is coming to an end I wanted to provide you with an easy way to find when some of the upcoming events in Lynden are happening. Summer is an exciting time in Lynden and full of traditions. Just in June there is the famous Farmers Day parade, Fishing Derby that takes place at Lynden City Park and Relay for Life that is at the NWW Fair grounds.

Feel free to view the calender here from the Lynden Chambers of Commerce so that you don’t miss out on anything!

Thanks for reading,
Danielle

Today, I decided to provide all of you a checklist of items that you can do around your home. I have also included the Spring checklist in case any of you are behind on your home maintenance.This list is very thorough and can be a little over-whelming. I don’t want you to feel like you’re a bad home owner if you don’t complete everything on this list. I just wanted to give an idea of home maintenance items you can complete to make sure your home is in great shape. It’s important to take value in your home and make sure everything is working properly on an annual basis. Here we go:

---

Summer Home Maintenance

In summer, complete the following projects to keep your yard lush and your home cool.

Outdoor Tasks:

Here are just a few ideas to look for when choosing a real estate broker to help you either purchase a home, sell your current one or both!

• Experience & Market Knowledge: How long have they had their license? Have they been practicing real estate in the same area for that entire time? Are there any areas they are experts at? It is also a good idea to see if they have any other certifications or designations. Is it more important to you to have an agent that has been in the office for 20 years or an agent that has only been practicing real estate for 10 years but has continued their education and has more certifications.
• Availability: Do you want an agent that is just 9-5, Monday through Friday or do you prefer an agent that you can get in touch with over the weekend or after dinner? Availability is all about what works for you. Most people work during the days and so they have to meet with their real estate brokers after “working” hours. Make sure you pick an agent that can work with your schedule.
• Online Presence & Tech Abilities:  Technology has become a HUGE part of real estate. Most buyers start to look at homes online. Agents can send their clients homes to look at via email. An agents can also get forms signed quickly online to make sure a deal goes through. Technology has allowed agents to communicate better, negotiate better and inform their clients better. Make sure to pick an agent that knows how to use a lot of these tools because in the end-it makes them a more efficient.
• Integrity: Always use an agent that you feel comfortable with and you know they are putting your interests first! You need to find an agent that will make you a priority and will do their best work for you.

When picking out a real estate broker remember- you can pick who ever you want! You don’t have to use the agent your parents or friend used. In the end, it is your decision and I hope you make an informed one!

Now, if you are currently looking for an agent please give me a call! I would love to chat about what I offer to my clients. We can go over the list above and I will tell you everything! ☺

Thanks for reading,

Danielle